Human Limitation and Ethics

Is it possible to boil theology down to a single basic concept? If I were to blow up everything that I think that I understand about God and sift through the wreckage, what would be the single indestructible diamond of truth that would remain intact? Maybe the construction of the previous questions provides a clue. It is impossible to think theologically without resorting to metaphor. All that we, as human beings, can do is try to use concepts that we know to explain concepts that we cannot possibly know. So, the beginning of theology must be a confession of human limitation, if not absolute powerlessness.

Again, I am confronted by the underlying assumptions of the Christian tradition and its interpretation of sacred texts. Augustine's conversion happened when he realized his utter powerlessness and found hope in his reading of the apostle Paul's approach to the doctrine of grace. His influence can be traced through other towering theologians such as Luther, Calvin, Barth, and many others. Theologians of many different stripes, especially in the American context, often sense a difficult uphill climb against a firmly entrenched Calvinistic notion of utter human depravity. This is where much of my theological wrestling takes place, somewhere on the spectrum of human limitation, but not quite on the extreme end of depravity.

Exactly where we place our understanding of human limitation can be problematic. Utter depravity, or even a less hard lined understanding of powerlessness, can be a very damaging ideology, especially for people who are already marginalized. It can also blind those of us who are privileged to the advantages that we have, what we might be able to accomplish because of them, and how they might be taking a toll on the disadvantaged. Denying human limitation altogether can also be problematic because it results in the kind of self worship that completely blinds us to the suffering of our neighbors, or causes us to blame those who suffer for their suffering.

It is interesting how quickly theology can become a conversation about ethical complexities. The shema of Judeo-Christian theology, "love God and love neighbor" almost seems intuitive. When we talk about God, we talk about something greater than ourselves toward which we strive. This is an intensely ethical pursuit in which human limitation cannot help but be apparent. Faith is ultimately how we deal with human limitation and the trauma that it so often causes. It is my belief that God, revealed in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, is a tremendously powerful resource in approaching the many issues that result from human limitation, ethical or otherwise.